Is Your Sensitivity Harming Your Health?
Posted on August 07, 2017 by Derek Sleater Cook, One of Thousands of ADD ADHD Coaches on Noomii.
Sensitivity, like all characteristics, can be a strenght or a limitation. How we choose to use it makes all the difference!
Sensitivity often has partners such as compassionate, kindness and intuition. It also likes to hang out with anxiety, insecurity and fear.
My life experience continues to teach me that things, events or people are rarely complete bad or completely good. One wise adage states, “Take what works and leave the rest.” You and I have the opportunity and the responsibility to choose what best meets our needs and the needs of those with whom we choose to interact in our lives. When your sensitivity feels and hears a painful message, do you choose a response that is harmful or helpful to your health?
Utilizing mindfulness and being present in any given moment can help us to optimize our sensitivity and reap its benefits. One measurement of being mindful is to not judge the emotion you are feeling as good or bad. I am laughing mildly inside as I write this knowing that, for me at least, it seems a bit humorous, if not ridiculous, to presume a “sensitive type” (like me) might be able to not feel an experience nor have an opinion. Yet, through practice, I found that it is possible. For me, it is helpful to remember that I do not need to practice mindfulness in every situation.
I also find it helpful to practice with situations when the emotion I feel is not intense and there are not negative consequences. For example, an opinion about what I would like to eat for dinner.
For ADHDers, a limitation can be that we may unaware of a challenge or negative impact we are having on others or a situation. We also may be afraid of facing the facts when we hear them. When we do let a tough message reach our brain, honor (give due justice) to the message and take action, as appropriate. Beware of the possibility that our sensitivity may become disguise itself as your protector and tell you to blame the messenger. There is always a lesson to be learned if we are open to be taught, even from those that are not our best advocates.
A common tough message may be that others state you are “too sensitive” or you overthink a situation. It’s not necessarily personal. It may contain truth. Be open to the lesson. Choose today to embrace your sensitivity and seek ways to maximize benefits that enhance and are helpful, not harmful to your health.
-Derek Sleater Cook, ADHD/ADD Coach & ADHDer
